Internal-combustion propulsion apparatus.



R. DIESEL. INTERNAL COMBUSTION PROPULSION APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.21, 1910.

Patented Dec. 9. 1913.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF DIESEL, OF MUNICH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 BUSCH-SULZEB BROS.DIESEL ENGINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PROPULSION APPARATUS.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, RUDOLF DIESEL, a subject of the King of Bavaria, residing atv 32 Maria-Theresia-strasse, Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal Combustion Propulsion Apparatus, of which the following 1s a specification.

The maneuvering of ships driven by 1n- 'ternal combustion engines has hitherto involved considerable ditliculties, because this kind of engine is liable to misfire at slolw Assistance has been sought from the provision of a number of air reservoirs containing highly compressed air so that in starting, maneuvering and running backward the combustionl in the engine is cut off and the necessary turning moment derived from thc compressed air until a speed is attained at which t-he internal combustion engine bccomes again of service. The air reservoirs are againlled with compressed air at the desired pressure by an air pump connected with Athe engines during normal running, it is obvious that such a system involves storage of a large quantity of air and therefore numerous and heavy air reservoirs and that it does not avoid the danger of misfiring in the installation. In war ships which necessitate f1'equent.and lengt-hy maneuvering' such a system does not sulice, or indeed in heavy ships generally, because the amount of air required is so considerable that the system becomes impracticable.

The present invention relates to installations of internal combustion machinery in general, and particularly to cases where the machinery may at times be employed for -maneuverin shi s or like vessels or for driving motor cars or locomotives at slow speed, and it comprises an installation having a divided engine plant, one part of which may compress air for driving the other part as a compressed air motor. In the best embodiment of the invention the combined power output of both parts of the internal combustion engine plant may be utilized to propel the vessel during normal running, while for maneuvering, etc., one part of the engine plant is connected with the propelling mechanism and operates as a -compressed air motor, while the other art continues to function as an internal, com uss is uncoupled for the pr tion engine and drives an air compressor which supplies the motive fluid for the aforesaid part. By an installation according to the present invention the disadvantages of the older systems are avoided.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic plans of suitable installations.

In Figure 1, a is the hull of the ship, b1, b2, 1) arc three propeller shafts each driven by a corresponding internal combustion engine c1, 0 63,; and Z is a coupling of any suitable construction by which the middle propeller` can be connected with its engine as desired.

lVhen the ship is to be started, maneuvcrcd or driven at low speed the coupling d is disconnected whereupon the 'engine c, becomes independent and therefore constitutes a separate group of cylinders which can produce compressed air by means of compressor f, while the other groups of cylinders o2 and a, are used as compressed air engines for maneuvering the ship. The groups c2 and c3 rau be worked for maneuvering either with compressed air alone or, in ordel` that there may not be too much cooling, with compressed air used simultaneously with introduction and igniting of fuel according to any known method. In the groups c2 and c3 it is also possible to work one single cylinder or several cylinders with admission of fllel, while the other cylinders, which operate without fuel are drivenseparately or together by the compressed air produced by the air compressor f.

When the ship has merely two engines one of theln is used in the uncoupled position for the production of compressed air and the other is coupled with the pro eller to serve as the maneuvering engine. en the ship has merely one en ine, a part of it uction of compressed air, and the other part, which remains coupled with the propeller serves as the maneuvering group.

The air pump or compressor represented by f can obviously be used for producing compressed air for other purposes besides maneuvering, both during normal running and when the ship is being maneuvered. Such com ressed air is necessary, for example, witi Diesel engines, for the purpose -of injecting combustible into the cylinder or for the purpose of tlling'the compressed nir vessels for storting. In rmrslinips coin-4 pressed uir is also required Yfor luunrliine torpedoes, for filling die srouniulators und like pixrposes. The engine r1 und its nir compressor con also be. mounted eniirely independenly from any propeller, the pro peller i5, then living omitted. ln liis ruse, ille inernnl combustion cylinders of the whole plain. :ire in action during ille noi-unil ruimingy oi lie sliip. During the norinul running they produee rompu ed sir for the coiubusion preutess of die driving 'ek/'lief ders frz, and (1. for irmisnce for iiijeeingr eoxnbustiblo or Charging uir or lie like, und duringv nnineufering lliey produro ilie vous pressed nir for working the :ilrivingr ori iuders (a, und n.. :is compressed nir engines. viously tlie ii'idepenilen engine c, run lie conn posed of one single or eoniluaslion cylinders.

Fig. 2 illuslruies another exniinple of ille invention; a2 is u propelling engine wili six internal emuluision oylinders numbered l to G adopted 'lo be subdivided into wo groups of 'iliree eylii'uers ruoli by diseoir neo-tion of the coupling g'. ln this euse.

Uli"

u, is assumed flint the engines operaie on u im stroke cyclo sind receive ilieir eliargging sir or scfofengjin; :fir from the pumps o, und i?, through duel, /i'. C is u single. slargo or muli stage oir pump driven from the. slini'- o? cylinders, Il., v (3 und adapted to llirowo inand out o work by nies of tile coupling 7L. AThis uir pump delivers Compressed sir into the duet e for the general purposes of the ship und oir for maneuvering through duet f2, to the Cylinders l. io (i. n normal running ull these cylinders unite in driving the propeller shaft J2. In maneuvering and running :it low speed ns has been nlremlf.7 described, the couplingI g is disconnected, whereupon the Cylinder group 4l, 6 which drives the pump r; rendered independent of the propeller shaft, sind the. compressed sir produced by tlie. pump c passes ilirougli duet to the group of cylinders 2, 3 for muneuverinf. Sinon, "die lust named cylinders 1, 2, 3 run :is compressed air engines during maneuvering they do not require charging oir from the pumps and b, and us these. pumps are still running the pressure in the scavenging duct 7u rises; sinre lhs latter duel. is also ille air intake duet for pump/ c, the output of the latter is increased correspondingly with the rising pressure in duct ,7a. It follows that during running at low speed und maneuverinp,` die 'Consumption of charging air in the internal combustion cylinders may loo diminished and tlie charging air llius obtained may be Aii'urtlier Cornpressed 'no serve as maneuvering air or for other purposes. It is also possible during the maneuvering io cui od either one side of the charging pumps 5 and o, or one of the charging pumps coniple'leiy from the infammi eombustion cylinders sud to use it for during maneuvering oir. l.When several. i Q lors are Wholly 'zeuriiog they muy be inrsrnul ooiniu eut out during Caused to serve as compre sorresponding odio the distribution of die vulves or l n un ior inonsuveb p im 'diese sev erul menu. il' i l Asible nor', only ro increase die niziueure wir wired, out also lie oir for ollier pornos-Ps, sur-li :is l'ie injectw iup)K :iir iu ille euse of iese engines; such un increase of injecting nir perinis also an, increase of eonimsible, clim; 'o un enlargement of (lie diagram :and u temporary foroing of ilie output.

The consunipion of charging sir in the interns-.il eoiuliusiion cylinders muy also be diminished during' die maneuvering period by adjusting suiiubly the distribution of the Cylinder vulves, ilor example by advancing the our. oli or luy tliroiling the scavenging faire or in any other known manner. In. liis numner the charging uir con lie econoniized in the iniernsl emnliiusa ai :cylinders and the exeess forwarded irging air 'in ille nir pump (,f und there uriner conpressed lor monouvering Both ilie insi'ollsions herein described are applicable. nor,- n'ieroly to ships hul, will in reason, io :my other kind of vehicle, suoli :is locomotives or motor ours. The arrangements :1re also uppiieui'ile io siutionary in slullriions wliero it is frequently necessary to stort and siop ine engine or to run at low speed, is in the oase o: winding engines of mines or il' e like.

Hoving Vous described i e nanars of the, said invention and tine l` niezins know of carrying the san-is ino przieical effect, I cluiinzl. ln apparatus of the Ikind described, an infor si oomousion engine plant compris ing l'wo divisions, im air compressor arranged for ')perution by one division and propelling mechanism adapted for operan tion by the olier division, in combination 'with suitable means for driving ne lutter division by menus oi die sir from ille compressor, and means 1for ooiuliining lioili divisions io operaie die said propelling mech-unism.

2. in zipporuus of kind desoribed, the ooinbination with driven mechanism, of internal combustion engineqroups nduptedto drive said mechanism by tilieir Combined impulses, one of said groups being' disoonnecible from said driven mechanism :ind adapt` ed to run independently of lli-e other group or Groups, un sir compressor to lie driven by said diseonneotible group, und supply connections from said compressor to tias r''lier group or groups for operating die latter as Compressed nir engines.

3, In a ship, the combination with prozur us d on pumps 'oy pelling mechanism, of an internal c'ombustion engine plant comprising parts adapted to propel ythe ship by their combined impulses, one of said parts being adapted to operate optionally as a combustion engine or as a compressed air engine and another part vbeing disconnectible from the propelling mechanism and adapted to supply compressed air for the operation of the other part as a compressed air engine.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, propelling mechanism, an internal combustion engine plant comprising a divisional part adapted for driving connection with such mechanism and having an air pump for supplying itself with charging air, said part belng adapted for operation as a compressed air engine or as a combustion engine, in combination with a second divisional part of said plant, an air compressor driven thereby having its suction line leading from said air pump supply of charging air andjts force pipe leading to the cylinders of the first mentioned divisional part to operate the same.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an internal combustion engine plant comprising two divisions which when coupled act as one, means for unconpling and coupling them, one of said divisions being capable of operating optionally either as an internal combustion or com-` pressed air engine, and means whereby the other division may be employed to compress air to drive the aforesaid division.

0. In a power plant, in combination with a drive shaft, a divided internal combustion engine the parts of which are adapted to rotate the drive shaft by their combined impulses, a clutch for coupling and ul'lco-upling the divisions of the engine, one part of the engine remaining connected to the drive shaft and the other part being disconnected from the shaft so as to run independently thereof when the clutch is uncoupled, an air pump connected with the latter part, and means for supplyingl compressed air from said pump to the part which remains connected with the drive shaft.

7. In a ship having a plurality of propellers, a comlmstion engine unit for each propeller, one oi' the same being disconnectible from its propeller and provided with an air pump adapted to supply the other unit or units with air for operation as ifompressed air engines.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses A. V. IV. Co'rrnn,

MA'riuLDn K. HELD. 

